As I Began To Love Myself….

Most people know or have heard about Charles Chaplin; a comic actor, filmmaker and composer born on April 1889 and died on December 1977.  He rose to fame by making people laugh through the art of comedy in Silent Film.

I never thought I would write something about Charles Chaplin until I came across his poem “As I began to love myself”.   As I read the poem I felt a tremendous desire to share it, as it is a great example of having a deep real love for one self.  The love he talks about is not based on egotism or infatuation rather on healthy self belief and respect.  It reminds us in life we have choice and although at times we may forget this due to giving in to the perpetual negative circle thinking of our minds, as we choose to connect more with our hearts we also learn to master our own thinking. 

His writing doesn’t evade or punish the mind, rather he talks about the unifying of heart and mind.  Our mind is tremendously valuable, however when we let it ran out of control it makes a terrible master, hence the importance of learning to balance our mind with our heart.  It is important to work on ourselves until we learn to live with our mind and heart in harmonious coherency.

I ask that as you read the following, to do so slowly, giving it your full attention; when you are done please take the time to reflect on it and on your own life….

Charlie Chaplin – as I began to love myself

As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know, this is “AUTHENTICITY”.

As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody if I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me. Today I call it “RESPECT”.

As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life, and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow. Today I call it “MATURITY”.

As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance, I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens at the exactly right moment. So I could be calm. Today I call it “SELF-CONFIDENCE”.

As I began to love myself I quit stealing my own time, and I stopped designing huge projects for the future. Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm. Today I call it “SIMPLICITY”.

As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health – food, people, things, situations, and everything that drew me down and away from myself. At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism. Today I know it is “LOVE OF ONESELF”.

As I began to love myself I quit trying to always be right, and ever since I was wrong less of the time. Today I discovered that is “MODESTY”.

As I began to love myself I refused to go on living in the past and worrying about the future. Now, I only live for the moment, where everything is happening. Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it “FULFILLMENT”.

As I began to love myself I recognized that my mind can disturb me and it can make me sick. But as I connected it to my heart, my mind became a valuable ally. Today I call this connection “WISDOM OF THE HEART”.

We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing new worlds are born. Today I know “THAT IS LIFE”!